Christmas Specials and Cartoons

In the late 70's, Polaroid featured a series of commercials featuring James Garner and Marriette Hartley.  These commercials led most people to think the two were married to each other due to their great on-screen chemistry.  In real life, the two were not married to each other but simply shared the spotlight on the memorable commercials.

Here's one from Christmas of 1979.

Here is a commercial from the late 70's for Kodak™ cameras featuring a young Ricky Schroeder.

Rick was a popular child actor at the time and would make the film remake of The Champ with Jon Voight two years later.  Rick went on to star in his own NBC sitcom Silver Spoons.  After his childhood career, Rick went on to star in many made for TV movies including Lonesome Dove with Robert Duval and Tommy Lee Jones and was in the very popular police drama  NYPD Blue.    He also starred in a season of 24 as well as guest appearing in shows like Scrubs and Strong Medicine. 

In 2013, he starred in a Hallmark movie "Our Wild Hearts." His daughter Cambrie co-starred with him.  His most recent project is a reality-tv show for the US Army.

Burger King is what I remember most as a kid.  The weird story is in my hometown, the McDonald's didn't have a drive thru window so you had to go in.  My mom would never go because it was such a hassle and because of inclement weather.  So, we went to Burger King.

So, here is another old Burger King Christmas Commercial from the early 70's.

Enjoy!

It's time once again to close down the blog for the season.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy New Year.



This blog started as a tribute the way we celebrated Christmas here in the states for so many years.  Each of us gathered with our families to watch these Specials, Cartoons and Movies.  And we did it together as a country at the same time.  We don't celebrate Christmas together as a nation anymore.  And there are so many attacks these days against the very mention of Christmas.

I received a comment on Christmas eve thanking me for this blog and that it lifted their spirits as they had been down and didn't really feel in the Christmas Spirit.  That's the purpose of this blog, to bring a smile to your face as you take a walk down memory lane and relive some Christmas memories from the past. We lost a great one this year.  Andy Williams was a very beloved and treasured singer and Christmas won't be the same without him.  But we always have his recordings and will remember him as he takes his place with the great ones like Bing, Nat, Frank and Dean.

May you all have the joy and blessings of Christmas all year through.  Until next time....

In 1977, Bing filmed what would be his last Christmas television special.  Titled "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas", it featured Bing and the family taking a trip to Merrie Olde England to visit a very distant relative, Sir Percival Crosby (played by Ron Moody).  The guests featured Mr. Ron Moody who was a famous British stage and screen actor who's most memorable role for American audiences was as Fagan in Oliver!  Also in the cast were model/actress Twiggy, British comedian Stanley Baxter and pop star, David Bowie.

Bowie performed his current hit at the time, "Heroes" as well as singing his now famous duet of "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" with Bing.

The special was filmed in October on location.  Bing had several appearances in London which would prove to sadly be his last.  Bing died on a golf course in Spain on October 14, 1977.

Here is the last time Bing sang White Christmas on television.

Here at the old blog, we wish all of you a very, Merry Christmas.

Hello everyone,

I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  There hasn't been anything posted this month.  Partly because I have posted so much over the past few years and the other is the busyness that is the holiday.

I will post something on Christmas Eve that should be like a hot cup of Wassail on a cold Winter's night.  Until then, peruse the blog as it is filled with memories.

Wassailing, England 16th Century

This is a revised version of an earlier entry.  Uploaded is the full version of this selection.

In 1976, Rankin/Bass made a sequel to The Little Drummer Boy. They subtitled it "Book II" in a biblical style reference.